More than HALF of people who test positive for Covid have no symptoms

More than HALF of people who test positive for Covid have no symptoms – but fatigue is still most common sign, official data shows

  • Office for National Statistics found 53 per cent suffered no symptoms
  • Fatigue, headache and cough were the most common warning signs, they said
  • NHS only lists a temperature, cough and loss of taste and smell as infection signs

More than half of people who test positive for coronavirus suffer no symptoms, official figures revealed today.

Office for National Statistics data showed 53 per cent of those who had a high viral load in March said they had no warning signs – including a temperature or cough. 

But among those that did have symptoms fatigue, a headache and a cough were the most commonly reported symptoms between December 1 and March 22.

The NHS lists only a temperature, new continuous cough and loss of taste and smell as warning signs of the virus, but this has been repeatedly criticised for being too small and failing to take into account many other warning signs.

Department of Health estimates say only a third of people that have the virus suffer no symptoms.